Electrical stop-motion for steam-engines



I (No Model.)

' R. EXLEY.

ELECTRICAL STOP MOTION POR lSTEAM ENGINES.

No. 378,668. Patented Feb. 28,1888.

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ROBERT EXLEY, OE PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

ELECTRICAL STPlVlOTlON FOR STEAlVlf-ENGlNS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No, 378,668, dated February 28, 1888.

Application filed October 15, 1887. Serial No. 252,433. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern,.-

Be it known that I, ROBERT EXLEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electrical Stop- Motions for Steam-Engines; and I do hereby declare the'following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertainsto make and use the same.

My invention relates to a device for stopping steam engines by means of electricity; and it consists in a valve-rod having a divided end bearing kept together by a stepped arm, which latter is within range of a spring-bolt, and is tripped when the spring-bolt is released by the armature of a charged magnet, so that the Weight of the valve-rod will cause the said end bearing to part and leave the pin of the valve mechanism, thus stopping the engine.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a side elevation of a cylinder and valve-gear of a Corliss77 engine provided with my invention. Fig. 2 is an enlarged View of the valve-operating center lever and eccentric-rod, both provided with my invention and shown in operation. Fig. 3 is a transverse section in the line x n of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a diagram of a mill or establishment having switches, a battery, and an engine 'with my stop-motion.

The letter A in the drawings represents a cylinder of a Corliss steam-engine5 B, eccentricrod; C, center lever; D D', steam-valves; E E', exhaust-valves, and F electric mechanism.

The steam valves D D' are provided with lever-arms d' and connecting-rods d, by means of which they are connected with the center lever, C. In a similar way the exhaust-valves E E' are provided with lever-arms e and connecting-rods c', whereby they are connected with the center lever, C, as shown. The connecting-rods d and e' are attached to the center lever, C, by means ot' ordinary wrist-pins, c, fastened to said center lever by means of nuts c', as shown. The stud c?, around which the center lever oscillates, is provided with a looX, G, which is firmly secured thereto by means of a nut, g. This .box G contains the electric stop mechanism F, consisting of an electric magnet, II, check-bolt 7L, armature 7L', and springbolt I. The magnet II is of ordinary construction, and the armature h is in` range of a lug, ha, upon the bolt 7L, so that it will push it along when attracted by the magnet. The bolt It is tapered, and its small end enters the spring-bolt I, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. l, the sockethole i, which receives the end portion of the bolt h, being shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2. The bolt h is prevented from leaving its bearings by a lug, h3, which strikes the Wall ofthe looX G after it is moved entirely from the springbolt I. By tapering the bolt iz., I greatly reduce the friction in its bearings, thus making it easier for the armature h to withdraw it'rom thespring bolt I. The spring-bolt moves in guide-walls g g2 ofthe box G, and it has a cylindrical end portion, 11, which slides in a bridge portion, g3, of the box, between which bridge portion and the end surface of the spring bolt I a spring, i2, is provided, which expedites the outward motion of the spring-bolt I when the check-bolt 7L is withdrawn. The springbolt I is prevented from leaving its bearings in the box G by a check, g4, bridging the guide-Walls g g2 and touching the bottom surface of a de pression, i3, of said spring-bolt, the upper shoulder, v7', of the said depression bearing against the check g4. y

Below the box G the eccentric-rod B is provided with a stepped lever, b, aivoted at b to it and holding iu place by means of a shoulder, b2, the end portion, j, of the upper halfbearing, J, ofthe wrist-pin c4 of the center lever, C, and eccentric-rod B. rIhis upper halt bearing, J, is pivoted at j tothe eccentric-rod B, in which is formed the lower half-bearing, b, of the said wristpin, and thus they jointly inclose the wristpin and firmly connect the center lever, C, with the eccentric-rod B.

A spring, L3, hung between the lower portion, bt, of the lever b, and a suitable lug, b5, on the ecentric-rod B, holds the lever b with its shoulder b2 upon the end portion,j,and thus prevents accidental parting ofthe u pper halfbearing, J, from the eccentric-rod B. The eccentric-rod moves in a slotted guidestand, K, the purpose of which will be presently shown.

The coils hL of the magnet II are, by means of circuit-wires h5 It of an open circuit, connected to a battery, 7L?, Fig` 4., and a number IOO of switches, hs, by means of branch wires h" IL10. The battery will be placed in a convenient and safe part of the building, andthe switches will be placed where accidents are liable to happen-that is, near dangerous and exposed gearing or belting.

When a person is accidentally caught in the machinery of a mill or shop supplied with my invention, he or a friend near by will push a button of the nearest switch h3, thereby charging the magnet II and attracting its armature, which, by pulling the bolt h away from the socket-hole f, allows the spring-bolt I to slide down within range of the lever b. The lever b in its forward motion strikes the spring-bolt I and is swung back into the position shown in Fig. 2, whereby the half-bearing J is deprived of its support on the portion j, and is, through the weight of the eccentric-rod B, thrown out of its normal position and away from the wrist-pin c4 of the center lever, C. The eccentric-rod B, having lost its support and connection with the wrist-pin c4, drops down to the bottom k of the guide-stand K, and

the engine, having its valve motion arrested.

and being withoutsteam-supply,will stop. In order to reconnect the center lever, C, to the eccentric-rod B, the supply steam is first cut tion the machinery is stopped as soon as the person is caught therein and the electric stacca switch-button operated, and the result will be, generally, only some slight injury to the body or wearing apparel.

It is readily seen that my invention can be applied to the eccentric-rods of steam-engines other than that of the Corliss, which latter I have selected for the illustration of my invention only for the reason of the preference which is shown for it among the owners of large mills and shops.

When the center lever, C, of a Corliss engine is turned up instead ofdown, as shown in the drawings, the box G may be fastened to the cylinder A, so that the motion of the springbolt toward the lever b may be downward.

What I claim as my invention isl. In an electric stop-motion for steam-engines, the combination, with an eccentric-rod having a divided wrist-pin bearing and a locking and trip lever for said bearing, of an electric trip mechanism, F, whereby the trip-1ever is operated and the eccentric-rod disconnected from the valve, substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. Ihe combination of the magnet H, armature h', check-bolt h, having lug h2, spring-bolt I, and an eccentric-rod having half-bearings J b, and locking-lever b, substantially as and for the purpose described.

3. In a steam-engine, the combination of an electric trip mechanism and a separable eccentric or valve rod connection, whereby the steam-engine is stopped by a switch of said trip mechanism and without shutting off the steam-connection with the boiler, substan tially as and for the purpose described.

In testimony lwhereof I affix my signaturein presence of two witnesses.

ROBERT EXLEY.

Vitnesses:

FRANoIs LECLRE, J oHN G. BoWMAN. 

